


Mass Effect: A Hero's Legacy

by DeadlyMaelstrom711



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Action/Adventure, Destroy Ending, Eventual Smut, Expanded Universe, F/F, F/M, M/M, Romance, Science Fiction, War Hero (Mass Effect)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:08:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26570425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeadlyMaelstrom711/pseuds/DeadlyMaelstrom711
Summary: John Shepard became a legend for defeating the Reapers. With his mission finally over, he opted to settle down and start a family of his own. But even in the new post-Reaper War era, new challenges rose from the ashes. His son, Kaidan, becomes a target as he struggles with the pressure and expectations heaped upon him by others. Will he find his place in the new galaxy?
Relationships: Garrus Vakarian/Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, Male Shepard/Ashley Williams, Original Male Human Character(s)/Original Female Human Character(s), Shepard & Ashley Williams
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so a lot of people have been DMing me left and right on Tumblr and Mass Effect Fan Fiction Wikia about how they couldn't find "Mass Effect: A Hero's Legacy", when is it going to happen, etc. Well, here we go! Keep in mind: this is the first Mass Effect fanfiction I've ever written – so please bear with me on this one. I also have other projects I'm working on so uploading more chapters may be slower than the others.
> 
> With that being said, "I should go."
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Mass Effect or any of the related assets; only the OCs included are mine. All characters and other content belong to BioWare and Electronic Arts.

_In the year 2186, the inhabitants of the Milky Way faced annihilation against a terrifying enemy. The Reapers—a highly advanced ancient race of sentient starships—had returned from dark space to begin their next purge of organic life in the galaxy. Led by Commander Shepard, the galactic community joined to build a powerful superweapon—dubbed "the Crucible"—and destroyed the Reapers at the Second Battle for Earth._

_Although the allied forces emerged victoriously, it did not come without sacrifice._

_Twelve years later, the galaxy had finally completed its last stage of rebuilding its lost infrastructure, enacting repopulation efforts, and repairing the damaged mass relays after a long, vigorous process. With the promise of a new golden age being made a reality and the races now having an equal voice, many are eager to focus their attention towards a future greater than anyone could imagine._

**MASS EFFECT™  
** **A HERO'S LEGACY**

* * *

**NOVEMBER 15, 2198 CE**

**The Citadel, Widow system, Serpent Nebula…**

_"_ _In other news, C-Sec spokesperson Senria_ _Calplin_ _has announced a substantial increase in the_ _number of officers patrolling the wards in anticipation of the upcoming Scarlet Festival with high-profile individuals set to arrive on the Citadel for the ceremony. Among the attendees include Primarch Adrien Victus of the Turian Hierarchy, Prime Minister Joan-Mila Macron of the Systems Alliance, Overlord Urdnot Wrex of the Krogan Empire, and First Minister Linariley T'eavius of the Interstellar Republic. Sources close to C-Sec have so far seemed to suggest that volunteers from the Republic's Bureau of Security and Criminal Investigations appear to be more than symbolic—but an anticipation for potential what-if scenarios, a sentiment shared by the salarian STG. So far, the RBSCI has returned none of our calls nor our request for comment. Until tomorrow,_ _this is Diana Allers for ANN's Battlespace. Goodnight and stay strong."_

It was another morning on the Citadel space station; shuttles and skycars zoomed past each other through the Wards arms. Schools were out for some students in anticipation of the upcoming Scarlet Festival—a high-profiled event occurring every year commemorating the end of the Reaper Invasion, a galaxy-wide conflict waged between the Milky Way civilization and the Reapers. Although the war itself was short-lived, it was incredibly destructive that left countless dead in its wake… a war that those who experienced it firsthand would never forget.

Nor would they permit their descendants to ignore the failures of the past.

Eclipsing the smaller vessels in favor of a more open space to maneuver, a _Kowloon_ -class shuttle MSV _Erlösung_ was piloted from the Tayseri Ward en route to the Bachjret Ward outside because of its sheer size alone; this gave the passengers inside a perfectly splendid view of the deep-space station, which had long since been relocated from the Sol system to the Serpent Nebula. Children of all ages from many races—human, asari, salarian, turian, and others—peaked from their seats towards the shuttle's external cameras to observe.

"Wow! Hey look!" one quarian child exclaimed.

"Stupid teacher… I hate how she knows I despise math!" grumbled a krogan.

"Should've paid more attention then. I'm set to go onto junior high in a few weeks," chimed a salarian.

"That's because your species has relatively short lifespans," a turian child noted. "Lucky you. We're still required to begin our military service when we turn 15."

"Relax, Decicus, you still got four more years to enjoy yourself before it happens," another quarian child tried to interject.

"Yeah but still… Dad said the process at boot camp is rather grueling, Ceena."

"Try not to focus too much on that right now. After all, we've got the Scarlet Festival to look forward to. All our friends and families are going to be there."

"Better not bore me too much with all those fancy speeches…"

"At least there'll be quite the selection of dextro-amino food and drinks for us to choose. Plus, the games…"

"Well, when you put it that way…"

Not too far from Ceena and Decicus sat, there were about three other human children; two of them conversed with one another whereas the other simply sat in silence whilst taking in the Citadel's view as the MSV _Erlösung_ searched for a dry dock. With one leg crossed across his knee, the child—approximately 11 years old—brushed a strand of hair behind his left ear. He bore a light skin complexion with straight curtained dark brown parted with one side parted on the left whereas the other banged on the right side of his forehead, clear blue eyes, stood somewhere between 5' 1" and 5' 4", and wore a brown leather jacket, an orange T-shirt and navy blue jeans with black sneakers.

The other two—ages 5 and 8, also male, sat next to each other across from him.

"Stupid teacher… detention again."

"Hey, David," one of them called out. "Wanna hear a joke?"

"Hit me with your best shot, Ethan," he dared.

"What do you call it when a turian gets killed by a spiky monster? Friendly fire!"

"Okay, that's a good one. Alright, I've got one. What's the hardest part a doctor has when trying to treat a turian who took a rocket to one side of his face?"

"Uhhh…"

"Figuring out which side took the rocket!"

The five-year-old giggled as his older brother snorted; some nearby turian children who were closer didn't like those incorrigible pranksters. Their mandibles twitched with irritation and were getting genuinely upset. Figuring there was bound to be trouble if left unresolved, the older child redirected his gaze from the external cameras to the duo in front of him.

"And you two wonder why you get into detention so much…" he sighed.

David and Ethan frowned. "Ah come on, Kay, it was just a harmless joke. It hurt no one," they complained.

"Tell that to _them_ ," he referred to their classmates.

"Suuure, bro. I'll be a good boy and mind my manners. Nah! That depends on whoever gives me lip!"

"And what'll happen next when mom and dad hear about this? You know they will NOT be happy. So, you'd best apologize to them and never tell jokes like that again."

"You'd best do what Junior here tells you," a krogan child warned aggressively, "lest you find yourself in a galaxy's worth of trouble. Not even daddy will save you."

_It's 'Kaidan'! My name's Kaidan, not 'junior'!_

Both the boys grumbled and muttered a weak apology to their turian classmates; although they appreciated the eldest telling them off and forcing them to retract their statements, they still did not entirely forget nor forgive them either.

"Those two are always up to no good," Ceena noticed.

Decicus nodded. "At least there's _one_ good brother to keep 'em in line," he said. "The oldest child is often held as the more responsible one in the family… at least that's what dad told us."

"Must be hard being Shepard's son."

"As are his brothers. Living a life of privilege whereas the rest of us have to work for it."

_But… but that's just not me. That's not who I am. Is… is that all you think when you look at me?_ The boy thought rather upset.

And indeed so.

Born on the Citadel in 2187, Kaidan is the eldest child of John Shepard and Ashley Williams, renowned soldiers in the Systems Alliance military and the two human Spectres who had been at the forefront of every part of the war against the Reapers. Because of his relationship to his father, Kaidan had a life of great privilege and affluence, causing him to struggle with his father's legacy and felt the pressure that was heaped upon him by others; these expectations fueled his desire to be his person and not simply as Shepard's son. One week after his birth, Kaidan immediately became a matter of public interest, and news of the birth was spread throughout Citadel and Alliance space.

In his youth, Shepard, who had long since retired because of his injuries, raised mostly him and his younger siblings on his own. Ashley, meanwhile, remained in the Alliance military and could not be at home for long. Although Kaidan is emotionally attached to his parents, he has somewhat of a close yet distant relationship with his mother ever since Ashley's career as a soldier changed with her captaincy. He loves his mother and is overjoyed whenever they spend time together, but life in the military sometimes prevented Ashley from being around all the time. Even though Kaidan is somewhat understanding of his often-absent mother, deep down he resents the idea of carrying on the Williams family tradition. Because of all this, Kaidan started questioning the meaning of being a soldier because his mother's duties kept her away from home for extended periods.

It was not his fault, however. He was too young to understand.

_Mom…_ Kaidan thought. _You'd best remember to keep your promise that you'll be there for the Scarlet Festival, at least. Dad needs you. So does David, Ethan, Carolyn… me. We all need you, mom. Please…?_

"Attention students," announced the pilot. "We are now approaching the docking zone in the Kithoi Ward. I ask all students to collect their belongings and be ready to disembark. Once again, all students are asked to collect their belongings and be ready to disembark."

In near-perfect unison, the students of Tayseri Central Elementary School rose from their seats and prepared for departure. The MSV _Erlösung_ circled before lining up with the port's docking tube; with an audible hissing sound, the tube connected with the shuttle. The doors opened to allow the students to disembark.

_"_ _The Scarlet Festival will be recorded as one of the largest social gatherings in Citadel space,"_ a reporter from Galactic News announced. _"_ _First Minister Linariley T'eavus issued a public statement regarding the rumors of strange activity near the Chabatan system: 'While the Republic Defense Force is taking precautionary measures in providing security throughout Citadel space as we prepare to commemorate those who laid down their lives during the Reaper War, our administration along with C-Sec urge any who hear such rumors to politely dispel such an unfounded notion. Parnack has been and always will remain off-limits. As it stands, the yahg pose no real threat to our community.'"_

"Greetings, and welcome to the Kithoi Ward. My name is Avina, and I am pleased to be your virtual guide throughout the Citadel space station," the VI construct stated welcomingly.

"Hey, Kay!" called out a salarian child. "Are we still on for the mathematics study group next Friday?"

Kaidan nodded. "Wouldn't miss it for anything, Linort."

"Nice! See you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow."

"NEEEEEEEEEERD!" both David and Ethan called out.

"Hey!" Kaidan scolded.

All three of the children collected their backpacks and walked closely together towards the nearest bench. News of the upcoming event was the spectacle everyone in the Citadel was looking forward to; no doubt tourism would skyrocket, and they would pack the crowds. There would be plenty of activities for the young ones to keep themselves occupied while the politicians give their speeches. David and Ethan were young and oblivious to the whole thing, but their older brother had gained a sense of awareness around him.

It did not take long for the Shepard children to notice an older woman accompanied by a much younger child—a 2-year-old girl—waiting for them nearby. The woman had recognizable reddish-brown hair, blue eyes, and light skin. She was beautiful. On her lap, the girl was sleeping soundly with her head in the woman's lap. She had dark chocolate brown hair, brown eyes, a light skin complexion, and wore a bright yellow dress.

"Aunt Sarah!" David called out.

Upon hearing her name being called, Sarah turned and smiled at her three nephews' approach. She was the youngest of four of the Williams family and their mother's youngest sister. Whenever Ashley was deployed on missions, Sarah was often acting as the maternal figure for her nephews and niece whenever they needed to be picked up from school whenever their father could not. It was hard for them, but at least one of them understood why such arrangements were necessary.

"Carolyn? Your brothers are here. Time to wake up, sweetie," she motioned for the child.

Carolyn—the youngest child and only daughter of John and Ashley—stirred before slowly opening her eyes and looked around before jumping to her feet. "Big bwuva," the 2-year-old exclaimed happily and stretched her arms out wide.

Kaidan bent down, hugged his sister, and ruffled her hair. "Hey, Carrie! Have you been a good girl?" he asked.

"Yup!"

"I hear you're going to start pre-school in a few months."

"Yup," she said sheepishly. "Daddy says got to…"

"Really."

Another seemingly unfair responsibility heaped onto his shoulders, Kaidan thought to himself. Being the oldest of the four, the boy felt he had to help his father raise his younger siblings to relieve the stress placed on him—though John did not allow it, encouraging his son to at least live his childhood and enjoy himself. Kaidan understandably did so with great reluctance, knowing how exhausted his father was. He swore he could see it in his eyes.

"How was school?" Sarah inquired.

"Mr. Felmus gave me a detention slip… _again_ ," David grumbled.

"What did you do this time?"

"Nothing—"

"David thought it'd be funny to put a bucket of water above the classroom door," Kaidan explained. "And when the door opened… SPLASH! Right on his head. Mr. Felmus was furious."

"Tehehehe."

Sarah frowned. "David! That wasn't very nice," she scolded him.

"C'mon, aunt Sarah! It was funny."

"Pulling pranks on someone is a way to get yourself into trouble, young man. Just wait until your father hears about this…"

David's eyes widened. "NO! No, no, no, no! Please auntie, please don't tell dad! I don't wanna get grounded again!" he begged.

"You know it's going to happen anyway, Dave," Kaidan sighed.

"Meanie!"

"'Meanie', huh? Here's a good tip: Stop. Pulling. Pranks! What'll happen if you do something else and end up getting expelled?"

David quickly deflated and fell silent before throwing his backpack onto the backseat of his aunt's red X3M C-111 Skyline Shuttle model. Ethan and Carolyn followed suit; as for Kaidan, he sat in the front seat as Sarah got in the driver's seat before starting the ignition. The vehicle hummed as it hovered for a bit before flying into the traffic lanes. As his three siblings chattered in the back, Kaidan gazed out the window to see the thousands of flashing lights passing them by.

"So Kaidan," Sarah began. "Any plans for the upcoming festival?"

"Aside from my junior high entrance exams next January, no. But… I heard from Andie that she'll be there though."

"Oh. Good to hear. Well, I've got something to tell you. Your mom and dad called and said they were going to be there."

That got his attention. "Really?" he asked, sounding almost hopeful. "They said nothing to me."

"Mostly because they wanted to surprise you. Your dad's more likely going to be stuck listening to the politicians for a while, but your mom… Well, Ash was looking for any openings she could get in her shore leave. Looks like she's found one."

"Finally!"

Sarah suspected her nephew added a bit of sarcasm in his voice. "Kaidan, the work your mom does… She knows it's not been that easy for you guys, but please don't doubt for a second that she loves you with all her heart. Me, your mom, and other aunts… we didn't take well with moving around so much either when we were your age. Dad—your grandpa—had to be deployed year-round, but we got by."

"I know… It's just… I just wanted her to be home with us for more than 'a few days.'"

"Perhaps the Scarlet Festival would help make up for the lost time. Ash just called grandma last night. Said she's got a month off."

Kaidan blinked; his ears perked up. "Is that even possible?" he asked.

"Your mom's the second human Spectre," Sarah smiled. "She can get away with most things – so long as she doesn't abuse her authority."

"But—"

***BING! BING!***

"Ah! Speaking of which," Sarah noticed.

Kaidan noticed the skycar's holocall button was blinking. Sarah pressed it as the holocall projected a visual hologram of a feminine individual. This woman had long collarbone-length dark chocolate brown hair, brown eyes, and tan skin; she wore a stylish blue leather jumpsuit with long sleeves with open hem cuffs and a front zipped up closure, which included matching blue gloves and stiletto boots.

Kaidan immediately recognized her. _I-is that…?_ he examined.

"Hey, sis," Sarah answered the call.

"Hey, Sarah," Ashley replied. "I just disembarked from the _Normandy_. The crew has already started having their shore leave early. Figured I might as well do the same."

"Good to hear." Sarah glanced at the passenger and backseat as the children were now listening in onto their conversation. "Hey Ash, I just picked the kids up from school. They'd like to speak to you."

"Can you put them on for me?"

"Hey mom," the children acknowledged.

"Hey sweeties," Ashley greeted warmly.

"I miss you," Ethan chirped.

"I know…"

"Are you going to be home longer?" David asked.

"I promise. I missed all of you," Ashley turned to her firstborn. "Hey, kiddo."

Kaidan blinked. "Hey mom," he said simply.

"Things going alright at school?"

"Pretty much, I guess…"

"Your dad tells me you're about to go into junior high in the next academic year. You've been studying?"

"Yeah."

"Any problems so far?"

"Not particularly…"

Things were relatively quiet between the two; it was getting a bit awkward with the prolonged silence.

"Hey, mom?" Kaidan asked.

"Yeah?" Ashley replied.

"What does… what does it mean to be a soldier?"

"Ah, started thinking about the tradition already, huh?" she teased.

"NO!" _Can you_ _please_ _take me seriously, mom?_ Kaidan blurted. Perhaps a bit too loudly, if not harsh. He noticed his mother's hologram looking somewhat taken aback by his outburst. "I… What I meant was… What job does a soldier have in times of peace?"

Ashley's expression dipped. _That a bit hurts, Kay._ "Well… it's pretty hectic depending on the situation. Being a soldier is… well, not so different from home," she tried explaining. "We get pretty much the same situation on the _Normandy_ or wherever Alliance Command sends us. Not to sound like I'm nagging a bit, or giving a lecture, or anything like that. It's what moms like us do. Your dad and I want to give you all the best of everything, to keep you and your brothers and sister safe."

"Huh. I think dad said something almost similar along those lines…"

"You know, when I was a teenager, I tried to rebel against the whole military family tradition."

"You did?" Kaidan blinked.

"Yeah. Your grandpa ended up suggesting packing my bags himself if I threatened to run away. He'd knew I'd never stray far from the family. They're everything to me, just like all of you and your dad. God, I miss those days when you were all little babies!"

"Mom!" he felt embarrassed.

"I know, Kay, I know. I'm just messing with you," Ashley chuckled. "Hey. Your aunts and I are going to get prepared with grandma. We'll stop by later to take you all to the Scarlet Festival."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Okay."

"Okay. Gotta go. Love you, kiddo."

"Me too, mom."

With that, the call ended. As Sarah redirected her gaze towards the Bachjret Ward traffic as they made their way to the family apartment at Silversun Strip, she noticed Kaidan redirecting his sights towards the passing Illium Trade Consulate. Her nephew had gone noticeably quiet. Despite not returning home while on active duty as often as she used to, Ashley does try her best to make time for them in person and to help them with their problems whenever she could.

"Kaidan," Sarah spoke.

"I know, aunt Sarah," he replied. "Let's… I just want to go home."


	2. The Shepard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The legendary N7 makes an appearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Hey guys, I am sorry I have not been more active in these past few months; a lot has happened in 2020 leading into the new year of 2021, including personal issues, but recently I just bought my own house which included a lot of legal mumbo jumbo and finalization, plus my own place didn't have any WiFi so I had literally no access to the internet before getting Xfinity Comcast Cable + Internet installed moments ago (02/14/2021). Hopefully, this means no more hinderances for at least a while.

**Tiberius Towers, Silversun Strip…**

" _The officials will be bogged down in the proceedings whilst we prepare for the upcoming Scarlet Festival, sir. No doubt Senator Hosvus Maltis of Taetrus will raise a fuss over the proposed budget for the next fiscal year,_ " a young woman said via holo terminal; the silhouette of her figure depicted her having dark brown hair and green eyes. Her attire was more professional, almost business-like, as was her tone. " _Executor Bailey has already distributed has many necessary volunteers from C-Sec, but our early projections show an exceedingly large number of people will migrate to the Citadel, far exceeding what First Minister T'eavius initially believed and our max capacity will already have stretched our resources pretty thin. We are not sure that we even have enough security personnel in case of what Bailey calls a 'colossal fuck up.' His words, not mine._ "

"Huh. Of course, he'd say that," replied another, furrowing his brow. Masculine and calm, yet stern. Observing the holo, he was a tall and fair-skinned athletic man standing 6 feet 2 inches with dark, yet graying hair slicked back with only a few bangs hanging and a full beard; he wore a black eye patch covering the right side of his face because of his eye being ruptured during the War against the Reapers several years ago. Only his sole remaining left blue eye remained.

Donning an impeccable futuristic-style black suit, his posture remained at attention, with only his arms crossed. Although one was purely organic and natural, a custom-made cybernetic prosthesis featuring electrostatic fingertips simulating a sense of touch replaced his left arm below the elbow—yet it did not feel real to him. Unnatural. And his body bore both scars and long-faded burns across his body. But what made him stand out… was a set of military tags he wore around his neck: one an N7 with a red stripe whilst the second was engraved with… 'SHEPARD, J.' with '5923-AC-2826' below it.

Upon unleashing a barrage of gunfire at a vital power circuit, the Crucible unleashed a wave of red energy across the galaxy through the mass relay network, destroying both the Reapers and all synthetic life—including EDI and the geth. Despite barely surviving the Crucible's blast, Shepard was not the same after the war's pyrrhic end. How could he be? Physically, the explosion blew off his arm, and it rendered much of his cybernetic implants from the Lazarus Project inert, causing him such excruciating pain; psychologically, however, Shepard fell into a deep depression after having been forced to endure so much and witness the loss of so many of his friends die during the war: Mordin Solus, Thane Krios, Legion… and Admiral David Anderson, his longtime mentor and father-figure.

Shepard's previously optimistic nature was shattered, and he became both embittered and grief-ridden; cold and emotionally withdrawn, he gained a cynical outlook on life—with many medical professionals expressing their concern about his state of mind. Anderson's death was the catalyst that finally pushed Shepard over the edge. He couldn't stay anymore, not in the Alliance any longer—not even for a moment to receive an honorable discharge despite the protests of his old squad. He had given all that he could and more… perhaps a bit too much.

" _Sir?_ " the woman called out.

John shook his head. "It's nothing, Lauretta. I'm fine."

" _With all due respect, Minister Shepard, we've been through this routine for God knows how many times for several years._ "

"Very funny. I believe I hired you as my chief of staff simply because you were the only damn political bureaucrat on the Citadel who was straightforward."

" _No sir, I do believe you hired me to be your chief of staff simply because you said I was 'determined' and 'efficient'. I remember every word you said to me that day. And lemme remind you, I'm damn good at my job. Sir._ "

"With all that being said, contact Executor Bailey and tell him I'll assign some personnel from OSITID and OL to aid C-Sec should we fall short on security. We want the Scarlet Festival to run smoothly, but we also want people to feel safe and enjoy themselves."

" _That includes you too?_ "

"It's my day off, Lauretta. Linariley's instructions."

" _If you say so,_ " she acknowledged. " _And…. done. Is there anything else that needs to be brought to my attention?_ "

"Just tell… no, _remind_ Minister Korlus and Enries that any matters not related to the Ministry of Defense is _their_ concern, not mine. And I'll not appreciate any outside political interference. That's the problem with politicians. They make big promises, but in the end, they won't do anything. Just look at what happened with Saren, the Collectors… and _especially_ , the Reapers. That'll give you an idea of what the typical politician is good at."

" _Sounds simple enough. All right, then. Do have a pleasant day, sir. Harley out._ "

"You too, Lauretta. Shepard out."

Lauretta nodded with acknowledgment before her hologram faded out of existence, leaving Shepard alone with his thoughts. Rising from his seat with a quiet yet audible groan, Shepard briefly examined his room before turning to leave. Running some cold water onto his hands, he splashed it into his face to rid himself of the nightmares that plagued him.

Silence filled his at-home office filled with only mementos from his military career; his old N7 helmet laid upon his desk. A reminder of his first death at the Collectors' hands in 2183 when the SSV _Normandy_ SR-1 was destroyed above Alchera in the Amada system—a fortunate trinket that luckily kept his brain intact. His Alliance uniform hanging on his wall, along with few guns, and what remained of his obliterated N7 armor on his display stand. Twelve years since its active use, its functionality ceased because of Harbinger and the Crucible itself. The rest had been filled with books along the upper and bottom shelves along with some photos—both old and new, including his wedding portrait. Shepard picked up the picture frame and stared at it with reminiscence. He looked much younger with his black tuxedo, white-collared dress shirt, black tie, and black dress shoes; his wife, Ashley, was incredibly beautiful that day. She wore a simple long white wedding dress with a veil pulled back, her hair had been curled up into a bun, and wrapped her arms around him.

_Ash…_ Shepard thought to himself.

Eleven years married, four children together… he had it all: his own family. Now that he had officially retired, Shepard opted to be a stay-at-home dad while Ashley continued her career in the Alliance military; he was proud of her ever since she got promoted to the rank of Captain. She was a fine soldier with an impressive record, the second human Spectre, and deserved every bit of recognition for her service. It was a sentiment his kids did not understand, but Shepard believed one day they would. They were still young, after all. But with the Scarlet Festival not too far, the entire family will all be going to be there together.

The sound of the doors sliding open broke the silence downstairs, accompanied by a call-out.

"Dad! We're home," Kaidan announced.

"Hi, papa," Carolyn greeted.

"That somebody was _you_ ," David teased.

"Was not!" Ethan protested.

Shepard recognized his kids' voices and descended the stairs to greet them. His second and third sons were bickering back and forth regarding the recent prank they had pulled during the car ride back home. Their aunt Sarah was holding little Carolyn's hands as she held a stuffed volus doll under her arm.

"Ah. Welcome back," Shepard acknowledged. "How was school?"

"It was okay, I guess," Kaidan replied. "We got our quizzes back from Mrs. Kyza today."

"And how did you do?"

"I got a 99."

"Teacher's pet," Ethan uttered.

"Hey!"

"Ethan!" Sarah scolded.

"I got a 76 in Mrs. Maor's history class," David said simply. "But Mr. Epolianus gave me a measly 63 for P.E."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "And what is this I hear about detention?"

"Uhh… How did—?"

"Because I had an interesting call from the principal before Lauretta contacted me. Mind explaining why you felt it was funny to pull such a stunt like that?"

"It was just a harmless joke, dad! I mean… Ah, Mr. Epolianus started it first!" David protested.

"How?" he asked doubtfully.

"Said I was a 'rich boy who lazed about and didn't have much to contribute to the society of all.'"

"So, you thought doing what you did make it even?"

David started to sweat a little. "Umm… no…?"

Shepard shook his head. "We'll talk about it later, once the Scarlet Festival is over. Until you learn you understand that two wrongs don't make a right, your little butt is grounded."

"But dad—"

"No 'buts', young man. Now go upstairs and change into your winter uniforms. _Now_."

Shepard's dominating aura compelled David to comply, albeit moaning and grumbling along the way. Kaidan and Ethan looked at each other and said nothing—rather, they heeded their father's commands and followed suit, leaving Shepard alone with Sarah and Carolyn.

"I'm sorry if any of my boys gave you a hard time," he said to his sister-in-law.

Sarah shook her head. "It was no big deal, John. Just remember to call on us if you need any more help. You are family after all," she said. "Oh! Before I go, I think you ought to know that Ashley's with my mom and sisters at my apartment getting ready for the Scarlet Festival. We'll be at the Kithoi Ward."

"So we're going to see you there?"

"Mhmm. We might be delayed a bit; no doubt Abby's been wanting to get the last detail of our dresses right. You know how picky she gets when it comes to fashion. She wants 'em done perfectly, which often takes time."

"I see. So it'll take a while."

"Yeah, we'll go to the venue from there as soon as we can. Don't worry. Ash was rather adamant on using her shore leave to be with you guys."

"How the kids react?" Shepard pondered.

Sarah shrugged her shoulders. "David and Ethan handled it as well as can be expected for children at their age. Carrie's more excited than most, but…. It's Kaidan I'm more worried about."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean it sounded like he was trying to be enthusiastic; however, it didn't sound like it. More like… I don't know; something close to indignation?"

John shook his head. _Normally I'd chalk it up as going through an early stage of puberty, but… I know that boy. There's gotta be more than he's letting on._ "Has he done anything out of the ordinary?" he pressed.

"He did say something during the car ride," Sarah hummed. "He asked sis what does being a soldier mean."

"Ah. I figured how long this would take. What did he say?"

"'What purpose does a soldier serve in times of peace?' We tried to explain how times might be rough on military families from personal experiences. Sis tried to lighten the mood by making a joke about it, but I don't think Kaidan liked it. He… was a bit harsh at first, but I just think deep down he's lonely. You're his dad, John. Perhaps you could talk to him? He's more likely to listen to you."

"I'll have a word with him. Don't worry," Shepard nodded.

"Thanks. I'll see you all at the Kithoi Ward."

Sarah turned and left the Tiberius Towers apartment to return to her apartment on the other side of the wards. Shepard knew being a stay-at-home dad would be difficult given his state, and his appointment to lead the Interstellar Republic's Ministry of Defense would have certainly complicated things even more—after all, he hadn't planned on getting involved in anything related to politics. It infuriated him to a great deal, given his past interactions with the now-defunct Citadel Council. He'd rather focus primarily on raising his family. Thankfully, he had his in-laws helping him out and some of his friends from the _Normandy_ , though he normally wished he wouldn't involuntarily make his problems theirs.

"Dad, we're ready!" Kaidan called from upstairs.

Shepard turned to see his kids changed from their school uniforms and into their casual clothes; David and Ethan were almost identical with navy blue t-shirts and black jeans, Carolyn wore a pink dress and white sandals, and Kaidan wore a charcoal grey jacket with red stripes along his shoulders and blue pants. As they walked downstairs, the four walked alongside their father to take the elevator to the bottom floor. Throughout the ride down, David stared at his feet feeling forlorn not making a sound—getting detention by his teachers and getting grounded by his dad put a hamper on his day; Ethan was playing the _Alliance Corsair_ game on his Omni-tool; Carolyn held onto Kaidan's hand while still clutching her doll; Kaidan glanced up at the lights before turning to his father.

"Hey dad?" he asked.

Shepard turned to his firstborn. "Yeah?"

"What does it mean to be a soldier?"

"Hmm. You asked your mother that same question, didn't you?"

"I did, but I think her response hadn't filled in the gaps yet. Figured I'd ask you. I mean, you were a soldier yourself too, right?"

"I was, yes. For many years," he nodded. "Enlisted in the Alliance when I was 18."

"But what exactly does a soldier do these days?"

"They're more like keepers of the peace, always checking to ensure no one causes trouble. Soldiers take the jobs that ordinary people like C-Sec can't handle. In times of war, they're the first and last line of defense, they protect innocent people regardless of all races."

"Isn't it a little odd that all this so-called 'peace' the extranet's been projecting everywhere so frequently? Nothing's been happening out of the ordinary, so what's the point?"

Shepard glanced down at his son. "You've been putting a lot of deep thought into this, haven't you?" he pressed. "Something is bothering you, isn't there?"

"Am I that obvious, dad?" Kaidan asked.

"It's a parent's job to observe their kids. It's how we learn. That, and your posture shifts ever so slightly whenever you get uncomfortable."

_Note to self: learn to stand straight when dad's around_ , the youth thought to himself. "Why do we only ever get to see mom for a few weeks instead of every day? I mean, doesn't she love us?"

Shepard frowned. "Of course she does. What made you think that?"

"I see kids my age with their moms, even my friends," Kaidan bemoaned. "Andrea with aunt Brynn, Ceena'Rulas and Decicus with aunt Tali… Almost every day I see them with theirs, but we don't have ours as long as they do. Why not us?"

"It's not that simple—"

"But why though?" he looked almost saddened.

Shepard placed a hand on Kaidan's shoulder. "Listen to me very carefully, son. Having a caretaker deployed on different military assignments can be hard on an average percentage of children your age. You'd have to leave friends and family behind or even worry about what would happen to the said caretaker on deployment. What you're feeling now is an example of anxiety. That's perfectly normal. Nothing to feel ashamed about."

_How is THAT even normal?_

"Kaidan, you know your mom loves you very much. All four of you. The day you were born, your mom would do almost anything to keep you safe. Do you feel the same way?"

Now Kaidan felt a little bad. "Yes…" he answered. "I just miss her, dad. I want her to stay home more with us."

"I know, Kay. I know. I miss her too, but your mom is tougher than she looks. She held off an entire invasion of geth on Eden Prime when I first met her many years ago. She'll be all right. And besides, imagine how excited she must be feeling when she sees you all again. It'll make her heart explode."

"Dad…"

"Trust me. You'll have plenty of time to spend with your mom at the Scarlet Festival, and the rest of your friends. Even Andrea."

"Really?" Kaidan looked up at his dad, his eyes gleamed with a faint glimmer of hope.

David and Ethan couldn't help but snicker. "Teehee! Kaidan and Andrea sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" they teased.

"Wha… HEY!" he hollered; his face was blushing a deep shade of red with embarrassment.

" _David, Ethan_ ," Shepard sternly raised his voice, " _stop teasing your brother_."

"Papa?" Carolyn chirped.

"Yeah, sweetheart?"

"Ice cweam?"

"Yeah! Can we get ice cream?" Ethan seconded.

"I want ice cream!" David echoed.

Kaidan groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. _Gotta be hard to be dad taking care of us right now._

Shepard sighed. "As long as you all promise to be on your best behavior the entire ride to the Kithoi Ward, we'll see once the Scarlet Festival ends."

"I want chocolate chip," Ethan said.

"Cookies and cream for me," David asked.

"Stwabewy," Carolyn chimed.

"Kaidan?" Shepard spoke. "What kind of ice cream do you want?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you want anything?"

"Oh, uh… Peppermint, please dad."

"All right. We'll stop by the Presidium on the way to the festival." Shepard said as they all exited the elevator and headed towards his specialized Esquiran sporting X3M skycar. The car's doors opened, allowing the children to hop inside before their father sat in the driver's seat with Kaidan sitting right next to him in the passenger seat. "Fasten your seatbelts, now."

All four children complied, though Ethan had to help strap Carolyn in her car seat.

Shepard turned on the ignition, causing the skycar to emanate a low-pitched hum before the vehicle levitated off the pad. Pressing a few buttons and turning the steering, Shepard faced the skycar towards the outer Wards before pushing on the acceleration. Kaidan turned on the radio to allow music to play, allowing a sense of calm and serenity to take place. After an hour passed, David, Ethan, and Carolyn had fallen to sleep except for Kaidan and Shepard—though the eldest child felt his eyes slowly fluttering.

"Hey dad?" he asked sleepily.

"Yeah?" Shepard replied.

"Promise me we'll always be together…"

"Always, Kay. I'll never leave you all."

"Thanks, dad…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well guys, here's the second chapter and the month-long update. Sorry it took so long guys, but now we're introduced to the man, the myth, the legend which is Commander Shepard himself. A lot has changed to him since the end of Mass Effect 3 physically and mentally, but we now learn that he's in a high-level government post within the Interstellar Republic; politics aside, Shepard still puts family first ahead of his political career. How do you guys think of his interaction with his kids, especially his firstborn son? Think he has a lot on his plate? Let me know.
> 
> Known Associates:
> 
> —Lauretta Harley is a mid-level political bureaucrat serving in the Interstellar Republic's Ministry of Defense. Her straightforward, determined nature caught the attention of the legendary Alliance war hero John Shepard and was offered a position in his inner circle as his personal aide, eventually being promoted to his Chief of Staff.

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: Well this concludes the first chapter of my first Mass Effect fanfiction. It'll take time for more to write as I have other projects to work on as well, so please be patient. So apparently there's a bit of backstory going on between Ashley and her firstborn son Kaidan; now that there are no more Reapers left to fight, some parties believe those who lived through it out to settle down whereas others remain in active duty. Think Kaidan doesn't understand the bigger picture yet? He's 11 after all. Make your assumptions on what you guys think so far.


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